Amur falcon

About Amur Falcon:

• It is a small raptor of the falcon family.
• These are locally known as Akhuipuina, the bird mainly in Manipur and Nagaland.
• They breed in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China and migrate long distances in large flocks to winter in Southern and East Africa.
• The one-way journey via India is about 20,000 km long and the birds do this twice a year.
• Conservation efforts:
  • It is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and included under its Schedule IV.
  • Hunting of the birds or possessing its meat is punishable with imprisonment up to three years or a fine upto 25,000 or with bonds.
  • In 2018, the forest department started a conservation programme by radio-tagging the birds to study their migratory route.
  • IUCN: Least Concern.
• Threats: Illegal trapping and killing during migration, habitat loss from agricultural practices and land reclamation.

Q1: What is migration?

It is the movement of people from one place to another. Migration can be within a country or between countries. It can be permanent, temporary or seasonal. Migration happens for a range of reasons. These can be economic, social, political or environmental. Push and pull factors drive migration

Source: Ahead of Amur falcon’s arrival, Manipur district bans their hunting